Non-League football matters to ...

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YORKSHIRE LEAGUE

Yorkshire, some would say typically, did not follow the national trend with regard to organised football.  As other parts of the country developed an increasing number of soccer clubs and regional leagues, Yorkshire had a relatively small number of teams in the south and north of the county, but no established league system.  The area where the game struggled most to establish a foothold was in what is now West Yorkshire where rugby league was the favoured sport.  Efforts to run a Yorkshire League in the 1890s failed and, though a more successful Yorkshire Combination existed in the years before the First World War and the county had a number of strong Football League clubs, it was not until 1920 that a viable, lasting Yorkshire League was set up. 

There were 13 clubs in the Yorkshire League during its opening season.  There may have been another ‘starter’ to give the competition an even number of participants, but no trace has been found of such a team.  The league proved popular this time round and was to have at least 16 members for most of the 1920s, which saw a number of weaker clubs withdraw and good competition for the title on several occasions.  It is also noticeable, however, that the Yorkshire League’s records were not carefully kept as the goals for and against totals fail to match for any of the first 10 seasons.  The Great Depression, which began in October 1929 and hit Britain in the months which followed, had devastating effects on the region and the Yorkshire League only just survived, returning to decent size and strength in 1934 after years of struggle.

Yorkshire League Final Table 1920-1921

1	Bradford Park Avenue Reserves	24	18	3	3	85	28	39
2	Wombwell	24	16	4	4	67	18	36
3	Wath	24	15	4	5	56	29	34
4	Harrogate	24	15	3	6	66	41	33
5	Selby Town	24	11	5	8	55	47	27
6	Wakefield City	24	10	6	8	41	33	26
7	Goole Shipyards	24	10	4	10	52	48	24
8	Rowntrees	24	9	2	13	42	45	20
9	Acomb	24	8	3	13	43	66	19
10	Fryston Colliery Welfare	24	7	5	12	35	59	19
11	Dewsbury & Savile	24	7	2	15	35	63	16
12	Yorkshire Amateur	24	6	3	15	42	66	15
13	York Y.M.C.A.	24	2	0	22	18	95	4
		312	134	44	134	637	638	312

Harrogate, Wakefield City, Wath Athletic and Wombwell all left to join the Midland League, but entered reserve sides in the competition.  Dewsbury & Savile simply dropped out.  Five new sides were elected to the competition – Brodsworth Main, Castleford Town Reserves, Doncaster Rovers Reserves, Halifax Town and Houghton Main.  Goole Shipyards became Hook Shipyards.